3. 3Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Triple Aim framework............................................................................................................................................. 4
Case examples of volunteers supporting the Triple Aim................................................................................... 5
Aim #1: Improving the patient experience of care.............................................................................................. 5
• Bed Safety/Fall Prevention, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT................................................................................... 5
• Patient Rounders, LRGHealthcare, Laconia and Franklin, NH............................................................................... 5
• Volunteer Transportation Network, Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs
Health Care System, Tucson, AZ........................................................................................................................... 6
• Volunteer Doula Program, Sutter Davis Hospital, Davis, CA................................................................................... 6
• Storycatchers, Longmont United Hospital, Longmont, CO.................................................................................... 7
Aim #2: Improving the Health of Populations...................................................................................................... 8
• Bay Area Regional Help Desk Consortium, Bay Area, CA...................................................................................... 8
• Vocational Skill-Based Programming, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Newton, MA.................................................... 8
• Victory Band, Detroit Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Detroit, MI......................................................................... 9
• Operation Sock-It-To-Me, Northwest Medical Center, Bentonville, AR..................................................................10
• Pet Peace of Mind, Mercy Hospice, Janesville, WI................................................................................................10
Aim #3: Reducing the per-capita cost of health care........................................................................................11
• Senior Health Insurance Information Program, UnityPoint-St. Luke’s, Cedar Rapids, IA........................................11
• NICU Cuddler Volunteers, New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, NC.............................................11
• Congestive Heart Failure Volunteer Intervention Program, New York Methodist Hospital,
Brooklyn, NY........................................................................................................................................................12
Critical success factors........................................................................................................................................13
Conclusion..............................................................................................................................................................14
Demographics of volunteer service departments.............................................................................................14
Checklist for developing strategic volunteer services to support the Triple Aim..........................................14
Resources...............................................................................................................................................................15
Table of Contents
4. 4 Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Health care is changing as never before. New
reimbursement models, pressure to reduce costs,
increased emphasis on prevention and relentless focus
on the patient experience and clinical outcomes require
attention to patients and families in new ways.
As hospitals, health systems and other providers
navigate this evolution, health care volunteers stand out
as key contributors in the success of pursuing the Triple
Aim, a framework developed by the Institute for
Healthcare Improvement that outlines an approach for
maximizing the performance of the health care system.
The intent is that every activity or process be aligned
with these three domains:
• Improving the patient experience of care (including
quality and satisfaction);
• Improving the health of populations; and
• Reducing the per-capita cost of health care.
High-performing health care organizations are striving
to adhere to these principles as they seek to best serve
their patients, families and communities.
This resource showcases how Volunteer Services
strategically supports the Triple Aim. The information
comes from interviews with volunteers, auxilians,
directors of volunteer services and chief executive
officers, who shared critical success factors in engaging
volunteers in these efforts. It features case examples
depicting how volunteers support the Triple Aim,
including programs dedicated to:
• Reducing avoidable readmissions
• Improving the patient experience
• Improving HCAHPS scores
• Enhancing community engagement
• Improving quality
• Increasing health care access
• Lowering health care costs
• Improving patient safety
Introduction
The Triple Aim Framework
By simultaneously pursuing the three domains of the Triple Aim, the U.S. health care system can focus
on improving health for individuals and populations by:
Improvingthepatient
experienceofcare
Improvingthehealth
ofpopulations
Reducing the per-capita cost
of health care
TRIPLE
AIM
5. 5Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Bed Safety/Fall Prevention
Hartford Hospital
Hartford, CT
Total number
of volunteers: 1,000
Number of beds: 950
Goal: To reduce patient falls, thereby preventing injuries
and eliminating the burden of additional recovery time
and costs.
Summary of program: Volunteers go into the hospital
rooms of patients who are at risk for falling and help
mitigate potential injuries.
Roles of volunteers: Volunteers work with staff to
implement fall-prevention protocol measures, such
as posting door warning signs, placing fall-prevention
alert bracelets on patients, connecting beds to proper
electrical outlets and turning on bed alarms. Volunteers
also ensure patients’ trays, belongings and call buttons
are within reach and encourage patient and family
involvement in creating and maintaining a safe
environment.
Role of staff: Identify which patients are at risk for falls.
Primary collaborators: Nursing and volunteer services.
Outcomes and benefits: There was a 50 percent
reduction in patient falls after the volunteer program
began. Hartford Hospital continues to perform in the
top 10th percentile nationally for total falls with injury
and the top 10-25th percentile for total falls per 1,000
patient days.
Future plans: Expand the reach of the program by
integrating volunteer bed safety/fall prevention practices
into other volunteer roles on nursing units.
Contact names:
Kelley Boothby, CAVS, director of volunteer services
kelley.boothby@hhchealth.org, 860-972-2182
Eileen Pelletier, CAVS, director of volunteer services
eileen.pelletier@hhchealth.org, 860-972-2448
Volunteer Rounders
LRGHealthcare
Laconia and Franklin, NH
Total number of volunteers: 200 (combined)
Number of beds: 120 (combined)
Goal: Address patients’ issues or concerns while they
are in the hospital and before they are discharged,
thereby attempting to increase patient engagement and
satisfaction.
Summary of program: On Mondays through Fridays
at the Laconia hospital some five to seven patient
experience volunteers visit with patients and families in
patient rooms and waiting areas to learn if there are any
issues of concern or if they have feedback to share
regarding their care. The volunteer either addresses the
issue on the spot or refers the concern to the volunteer
services coordinator for follow-up with the director of
the department or the director of patient experience.
Typical issues pertain to noise, wait times,
communication with physicians and nurses, and
questions regarding medications or procedures.
Roles of volunteers: Volunteers round on inpatient
rooms and waiting rooms, soliciting feedback and
following up as appropriate. They document their
encounters and submit data summarizing issues and
follow up. Volunteer Rounders also serve on the Patient
Family Advisory Committee and are able to provide
real-time data and feedback to the committee.
Role of staff: Collect data on patient encounters and
send reports on activity and trends to department
directors and the patient experience department.
Primary collaborators: Patient experience director
and clinical department directors.
Outcomes and benefits: The service provides
immediate feedback on positive and negative
experiences, as well as real-time resolution of issues.
It has resulted in enhanced collaboration among
volunteers and clinical staff. In 2015, some 2,400 patient
encounters were recorded. Though there is no direct
correlation to HCAHPS scores, the ability to track
trends and improve processes helped result in fewer
patient concerns, decreasing the patient complaint rate
from 25 percent annually to 1-2 percent.
Case examples of volunteers supporting the Triple Aim
Aim #1: Improving the Patient Experience of Care
2011
AHA’s AHVRP
Extraordinary
Program
Award
6. 6 Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Challenges: Initial resistance among nursing staff and
that the program only operates on weekdays.
Future plans: Expand to five days a week on the
Franklin campus.
Contact names:
Sandra Marshall, CAVS, director of volunteer services
smarshall@lrgh.org, 603-527-2895
Darcy Peary, CAVS, volunteer coordinator
dpeary@lrgh.org, 603-737-6720
Veterans Health Administration
Volunteer Transportation Network
Southern Arizona VA
Health Care System
Tucson, AZ
Total number of volunteers: 1,200
Number of beds: 285
Goal: Increase patient access to care and decrease
number of missed appointments.
Summary of program: Through a partnership with
the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), some 30 to 40
volunteers provide free transportation for patients to the
medical center for scheduled medical appointments.
Volunteers have access to eight vehicles that were
donated by the DAV and other service organizations.
The DAV also pays the salary of a hospital transportation
coordinator to schedule and dispatch drivers.
Roles of volunteers: Drive patients to and from
appointments; schedule transportation; answer phones;
assist in tracking driver certifications; provide clerical
support.
Role of staff: Ensure drivers meet certification
requirements; manage certification database; market the
program to veterans and the community; recruit, onboard
and train volunteers; perform security clearances;
conduct physical exams of volunteers; maintain the
vehicles; obtain and certify motor vehicle reports.
Primary collaborator: Disabled American Veterans
Outcomes and benefits: Increases patients’ access
to care and increases the number of completed
appointments. In the past two years, volunteers
transported almost 5,000 patients each year. Volunteers
donated some 10,000 hours in each of those years at a
value of more than $200,000 annually. The service also
fosters goodwill between the medical center and the
veteran community, resulting in peace of mind for the
patients and their families.
Challenges: Recruiting drivers from rural areas who
are able to put in long days; tracking driver
certifications.
Future plans: Increase the number of drivers from rural
areas; improve information technology systems to
enhance efficiency; expand marketing.
Contact names:
Deborah Brookshire, CAVS, chief of voluntary service
deborah.brookshire@va.gov, 520-792-1450, ext. 16990
Volunteer Doula Program
Sutter Davis Hospital
Davis, CA
Number of beds: 48
Goal: To enhance the birthing experience.
Summary of program: Doula is a Greek term meaning
“a woman who serves.” Volunteer doulas provide
non-clinical emotional and physical support to birthing
and post-partum mothers. Some 20 percent of the
hospital’s 1,500 births annually are attended by a
volunteer doula.
Roles of volunteers: Some 50 volunteers donate
10,000 hours annually in the form of hands-on comfort,
supporting patients’ decisions, hydrating and feeding,
assisting partners and families and being continuously
present until after the birth.
Role of staff: Training volunteers and assigning them
to a patient when a woman goes into labor.
Primary collaborators: Birth center staff, employee
health, education department.
Outcomes and benefits: Patients experience fewer
medical interventions, improved bonding with their
babies, higher breastfeeding rates, lower cesarean
rates, fewer incidents of postpartum depression and
mood disorders, and lower medication usage.
Challenges: Aligning the supply of trained doulas with
the number of women in labor; clarifying the roles and
boundaries of the doulas’ responsibilities with the
volunteers and laboring mothers.
Future plans: Continue to grow the program and
expand to post-partum patients.
Contact names:
Kim Andersen Johnson, RNC-OB, BSN,
SDHDoula@sutterhealth.org, 530-759-7445
Carolyn Joyce Campos, RNC-OB, MSN camposc@
sutterhealth.org, 530-759-7445
AHA
2016
Hospital
Award
for Volunteer
Excellence
7. 7Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Storycatchers
Longmont United Hospital
Longmont, CO
Total number of volunteers
at hospital: 500
Volunteers in this program: 7
Number of beds: 201
Goal: To help humanize and personalize the patient’s
hospital experience.
Summary of program: Volunteers interview patients
and write narratives or poems depicting the patients’ life
stories. If the patient chooses, the stories are shared
with hospital staff, physicians, families and friends.
Roles of volunteers: Interview inpatients and write
their life stories in the form of narratives or poems. Each
story takes four to eight hours to complete.
Role of staff: Identify patients who might be good
candidates; facilitate sharing the stories according to
the patients’ wishes.
Primary collaborators: Staff in in-patient rehabilitation
and select nursing units.
Outcomes and benefits: Patients are more engaged
and empowered in their care through this caring
connection; those who read the stories connect on a
personal level with the patients — staff and physicians
are reminded why they do what they do; patients are
temporarily diverted from their pain, anxiety or health
conditions; patients’ moods and energy levels improve;
patients are validated as human beings; dying patients
are provided the opportunity to reminisce and
potentially connect on a deeper level with loved ones;
stories done at the end of life are often shared in
eulogies or obituaries. In the first five years, more than
120 stories and 30 poems were captured.
Challenges: Selecting volunteers with the right skill
sets; focusing on quality vs. quantity; acknowledging
that many patients are in declining health or have
dementia; engaging staff support; maintaining high
quality as the program grows.
Future plans: Expand to more units and to other
Centura Health hospitals; serve as a resource to other
hospitals wishing to start a program.
Contact name:
Laura Kinder, director of volunteer services
LauraKinder@Centura.org, 303-651-5206
AHA
2016
Hospital
Award
for Volunteer
Excellence
8. 8 Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Bay Area Regional Help Desk
Consortium
Hospital/health system partners:
Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG)
Hospital; Alameda Health System;
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; and
Alameda Health Care Services Agency
Bay Area, CA
Total number of volunteers: 200
Summary of program: The Bay Area Regional Help
Desk Consortium (BARHC) is a collaboration of Bay
Area hospitals and other community partners to help
connect patients to community resources. Help Desks
are resource centers that are staffed by trained
volunteers. Volunteers help to identify and then address
patients’ unmet social needs, including connecting
families with food, housing, legal, and mental health
resources in the community.
Goal: Help patients connect with local resources to
address unmet social needs.
Roles of volunteers: Volunteers work in a fast-
paced hospital environment, interfacing with physicians,
nurses and social workers. Volunteers perform
standardized social needs screening with interested
patients and families. Screening includes questions
related to food security, housing stability, safety,
financial security, and health care access. Volunteers
then use county-specific resource algorithms,
community resource lists, and on-line resources to aid
families in meeting resource needs. Volunteers often
follow up with participating families over the course of
several months.
Role of staff: Program coordination; patient liaison;
resource development and dissemination; volunteer
recruitment and training; website maintenance and
fundraising.
Internal collaborators: Volunteers work closely with
social workers and other behavioral health team
members in a variety of hospital departments, including
emergency departments and adult and pediatric
primary care clinics.
Outcomes and benefits: Across 1,800 patients
recruited in primary and urgent care at ZSFG and UCSF
Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, the in-person
navigator intervention resulted in greater reduction of
unmet social needs and greater improvements in
perceived child health than by only providing written
resources to patients and their families.
Challenges: Behavioral health/social work staff
integration; clinical workflows; sustainable funding.
Future plans: Regional program branding, staffing,
and funding; expanded recruitment to other student
and community volunteer groups.
Contact names:
Joanie Rothstein
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital
joanie.rothstein@ucsf.edu
Dayna Long, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
DLong@mail.cho.org
Kimi Tahara, Alameda County Health System
ktahara@alamedahealthsystem.org
Vocational Skill-Based Programming
Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Newton, MA
Total number of volunteers: 994
Number of beds: 313
Goal: Provide vocational skill-based volunteer
opportunities for youth and adults who are socially,
intellectually and/or physically challenged.
Summary of program: Since 1999, challenged
students and adults have been serving in vocational
volunteer roles throughout the hospital. The student
program has some 90 volunteers per year — 556 total
since the program started. Collectively, the students
serve around 6,500 hours annually. The adult vocational
program has some 70 volunteers per year — 203 since
the program started. The adults serve approximately
6,000 hours annually.
Roles of volunteers: The volunteers serve in at least
23 areas of the hospital and are involved in a variety of
positions, including collating patient registration
packets, wiping tables and sorting silverware in the
cafeteria, food preparation, cleaning fitness equipment
Aim #2: Improving the Health of Populations
9. 9Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
in cardiac rehab and the fitness center, folding and
sorting linens in central supply, assisting in the day
care center, helping housekeeping clean and dust,
playing the piano in the lobby, scanning and filing,
emptying recycling bins, delivering packages,
assembling patient surgical bags and raking leaves.
Role of staff: Serving as professional mentors to the
students and adults; acting as a role model; training
volunteers; incorporating vocational volunteers into the
department and developing a relationship with the
school or agency, when necessary.
Primary collaborators: Some 15 schools and nine
social service agencies.
Outcomes and benefits: For the students, the
vocational opportunities result in enhanced skills related
to communication, technology, safety, teambuilding,
interviewing, money management, job search and
meeting workplace expectations. The elevated skills
help increase self-image, confidence, independence
and professionalism. For the hospital, the program
functions as a consistent, reliable supplement to the
workforce. It also serves as a positive channel for
reaching out to the community and generating goodwill
among schools, agencies, families and individuals.
Challenges: Staff changes that sometimes disrupt the
bonds between the volunteers and mentors.
Reinforcement of professional/hospital expectations
and monitoring personal interactions in the workplace.
Maintaining job coach paperwork.
Future plans: Continued exploration and piloting of
new areas for the volunteers to contribute. Increase the
number of agency partners.
Contact name:
Lauren Lele, CAVS,
director of community benefits and volunteer services
llele@partners.org, 617-243-6330
Victory Band
Detroit Veterans Affairs
Medical Center
Detroit, MI
Total number of volunteers: 1,141
Number of beds: 212
Goal: To use music-centered programs to influence
therapy and enhance the quality of life of patients with
chronic to several behavioral health issues.
Summary of program: A collaborative effort between
Voluntary Service and the Jams-For-Vets Project has
been music to the ears of military veterans receiving
care at the Detroit VA Medical Center. Jams-For-Vets
volunteers and therapists from the medical center’s
Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center
(PRRC) program have taken a group of diverse
individuals with varying levels of musical talent and
transformed them into a skilled band, a Victory Band.
Roles of volunteers: Three volunteers provide
expertise in music and performance for some 21
patients. They also secure donations of musical
instruments.
Role of staff: Music therapy, concert coordination,
publicity.
Primary collaborators: Jams-for-Vets Project and
psycho-therapists from PRRC.
Outcomes and benefits: Monthly concerts in the
medical center’s atrium and performances at
community events result for the participants in
enhanced community integration, social skills,
teamwork, leadership, confidence and pride.
Participants learn to use music as a coping skill to
manage symptoms and emotions. In the first two years,
volunteers secured $25,000 in donations for
instruments and time.
Challenges: Funding, equipment, qualified musicians/
instructors, practice schedules and venue.
Future plans: Expand program to physical and
extended care units as part of recreation therapy.
Contact name:
Bill Browning, chief, volunteer and community relations
william.browning@va.gov, 313-576-3332
AHA
2015
Hospital
Award
for Volunteer
Excellence
10. 10 Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Operation Sock-It-To-Me
Northwest Medical Center
Bentonville
Bentonville, AR
Total number of volunteers: 120
Number of beds: 126
Goal: Collect and distribute socks to children who
need them.
Summary of program: Volunteers, employees and
community members donate new pairs of socks during
annual collection drives. The socks are donated to
schools, a children’s shelter, a women’s shelter and
foster care program; those organizations give the socks
to children in need.
Roles of volunteers: The idea for the program
originated from a volunteer who often suffered from
cold feet and a lack of socks while growing up in a
children’s home. Volunteers are responsible for
promoting the campaign throughout the hospital and in
the community. They decorate collection bins and place
them in high-traffic spots in the hospital and in the
community (a bank, a not-for-profit organization, a
hotel), collecting the socks as the bins fill up. Volunteers
then package the socks by size and gender and
distribute them to the organizations at the conclusion of
the campaign.
Role of staff: Encourage donations and participation.
Primary collaborators: Employees in all departments,
a bank, a charitable community organization and a hotel.
Outcomes and benefits: Over three years, some
7,420 pairs of socks have been given to local children,
ranging from infants to teenagers. Research shows
warm feet help children sleep better at night, improving
their ability to concentrate at school. This enhanced
focus can lead to a healthier, better-educated child.
Challenges: One year the campaign expanded to
include donated underwear, but the effort has been
more successful when it focused only on socks.
Future plans: Continue to expand donations and serve
more children.
Contact name:
Cindy Feaker, volunteer coordinator
cfeaker@nw-health.com, 479-553-4301
Mercy Hospice Pet Peace
of Mind
Mercyhealth
Janesville, WI
Total number of volunteers: 33
Number of beds: 98
Goal: Meet the needs of hospice patients with pets
who are unable to care for their animals.
Summary of program: Volunteers care for the pets of
hospice patients according to the patients’ wishes.
Roles of volunteers: Eleven volunteers follow the
wishes of the patient by providing the following services
for pets: feed, walk, coordinate veterinary care and
visits, administer medication, arrange temporary pet
sitting and boarding, take care of pet litter and address
foster care or adoption placement.
Role of staff: Identify patients with pets that need to
be cared for.
Primary collaborators: Hospice staff, veterinarians,
pet adoption organizations, groomers, health system
partners, marketing/social media.
Outcomes and benefits: Reduced stress for hospice
patients because their pets are being cared for
according to their wishes, thereby respecting the
end-of-life process.
Challenges: Because the program is for hospice
patients, those who are hospitalized or on home care
must be declined and referred to other organizations for
pet care assistance. In addition, patients need to be
reminded that help is available for all pet care needs,
including walking and backyard clean up. Due to the
nature of hospice, needs can arise at any time and
patients often require assistance with little notice.
Future plans: Potential expansion into other
communities.
Contact name:
Laura Bergeron, volunteer program coordinator
lbergeron@mhsjvl.org, 608-921-4792
AHA
2014
Hospital
Award
for Volunteer
Excellence
AHA
2014
Hospital
Award
for Volunteer
Excellence
11. 11Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Senior Health Insurance
Information Program (SHIIP)
UnityPoint Health –
St. Luke’s Hospital
Cedar Rapids, IA
Total number of volunteers: 952
Number of beds: 532
Goal: Increase the community’s level of knowledge
about Medicare benefits, insurance options and
medical bills for the senior population.
Summary of program: Provides free, unbiased
counseling to Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers
about Medicare benefits and programs, billing and
claims issues, and fraud and abuse. Trained SHIIP
volunteers conduct group presentations and one-one-
one counseling sessions, providing impartial information
to help seniors make well-informed decisions. The
services are provided at the hospital and in community
settings, such as nursing homes, residential centers
and assisted living facilities.
Roles of volunteers: Some 30 volunteers are involved
in counseling clients, doing group presentations,
entering data, scheduling client appointments and
providing general office support.
Role of staff: Serving as a liaison to the State of Iowa
Insurance Division, recruiting and scheduling volunteers,
and problem solving client issues.
Primary collaborators: State of Iowa Insurance
Division; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;
local nursing home, residential centers and assisted
living facilities.
Outcomes and benefits: In the annual fall Medicare
open enrollment period, counselors will meet with 1,500
individuals – almost half the client base. The free service
helps clients understand Medicare options so they can
make informed choices. The counseling also helps
resolve confusing billing issues – one counselor
recovered more than $10,000 in overpayments by a
client. In one year, counselors saved 2,577 individuals
some $500,000 on prescription drugs. The services
often help relieve stress because the clients are either
recovering from their own medical issues, are caring for
someone else, or are grieving the loss of a loved one.
Challenges: Hospital must commit to providing private
counseling space, office equipment and secure file
storage.
Future plans: A second site will be added in a
physician’s clinic.
Contact name:
Angela Berns, CAVS,
program manager of volunteer services
angela.berns@unitypoint.org, 319-369-7044
NICU Cuddler Volunteers
New Hanover Regional
Medical Center
Wilmington, NC
Total number of volunteers: 900
Number of beds: 738
Goal: As part of a multi-disciplinary approach to
improving outcomes for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
(NAS) babies, volunteers comfort newborns who were
born addicted to drugs or alcohol as they go through
withdrawals.
Summary of program: Some 5-10 percent of babies
in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the
hospital suffer from NAS because they are born
addicted to drugs or alcohol. This is approximately two
to four babies on any given day. Volunteer cuddlers
provide the human touch. The volunteers are scheduled
for four-hour shifts in the NICU seven days a week from
6 AM until 10 PM. They hold the babies as the toxins
are released from the newborns’ systems.
Roles of volunteers: Some 66 volunteers cuddle, sing
to and provide physical touch to the newborns.
Role of staff: Train, schedule and provide oversight of
volunteers.
Primary collaborators: NICU manager and
coordinator, Volunteer Services coordinator and director.
Outcomes and benefits: The NICU clinical team
created an updated multi-disciplinary approach to
decrease the use of morphine, decrease length of stay
and improve neonate outcomes. Newborns with NAS
who are cuddled experience shorter lengths of stay,
Aim #3: Reducing the Per-Capita Cost of Health Care
AHA
2014
Hospital
Award
for Volunteer
Excellence
12. 12 Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
less medication usage and fewer withdrawal symptoms.
The result of the pilot was a decreased length of stay of
9.97 days, saving the hospital $429,750 during the
10-month study.
Challenges: Initial challenge was gaining acceptance
from clinical staff and identifying which babies can be
held. The volunteers also were provided a mobile phone
so staff can locate them on this very large unit.
Additionally, the clinical team created a “Cuddle Zone”
sign that is placed on appropriate rooms, indicating to
volunteers they are free to enter. This decreases the
number of questions volunteers must ask of clinical staff.
Contact name:
Eileen McConville, CAVS,
director of volunteer and auxiliary services
eileen.mcconville@nhrmc.org, 910-667-5317
Congestive Heart Failure
Volunteer Intervention
Program
New York Methodist
Hospital
Brooklyn, NY
Total number of volunteers: 450-500
Number of beds: 591
Goal: Reduce the readmission rates of patients with
congestive heart failure (CHF).
Summary of program: Through pre-discharge
education and follow-up phone calls, trained volunteers
provide patients with information and encouragement to
continue their recoveries after they leave the hospital.
Roles of volunteers: Some 20 to 25 volunteers meet
one-on-one with CHF patients before they are
discharged. They provide self-care information on the
significance of following their physicians’ protocol, such
as adhering to medication regimens, the importance of
weighing themselves daily, supporting adherence to
approved diets and helping ensure follow-up
appointments are made with physicians. Volunteers
then contact patients by phone within 48 hours of
discharge as well as two weeks and four weeks
afterward, submitting data summarizing the patient
encounters. If patients have clinical questions or
concerns, those issues are routed to clinicians.
Volunteers also serve on the Congestive Heart Failure
VIP Steering Committee.
Role of staff: Recruit, train and schedule volunteers;
identify appropriate CHF patients who may benefit from
the support; collect and analyze patient encounter data.
Primary collaborators: Departments of Cardiology
and Nursing.
Outcomes and benefits: Patients in a control group
experienced a readmission rate of 19 percent, whereas
patients supported by the volunteers experienced a
7-percent readmission rate. Patients are at ease
interacting with the volunteers, and often share
concerns or raise issues they otherwise may not
mention to their physicians or nurses. The program
engages patients and offers them a sense of
reassurance that a lifeline to expert care continues after
they leave the hospital. The staff also benefit by being
able to focus on providing clinical care, knowing trained
volunteers can spend additional time educating and
supporting patients.
Challenges: Language barriers, incorrect phone
numbers, screening for volunteers with a higher level of
skills who are suited for this highly engaged service area.
Contact name:
Wendy Froede, director of volunteer resources
wlf9001@nyp.org, 718-780-5399
AHA
2016
Hospital
Award
for Volunteer
Excellence
FINALIST
13. 13Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Align the Volunteer Services Department with
the rest of the organization.
• Ensure the goals of the department are connected
to the overall strategic plan.
• Continually reassess volunteer positions, adding
new services when needed and discontinuing those
that are no longer impactful or not aligned with
elements of the Triple Aim.
• Take a visionary approach to engaging volunteers
in addressing the organization’s challenges.
• Be flexible.
Be innovative in recruiting and retaining
volunteers.
• Develop impactful volunteer positions, including
“cause-focused services,” such as roles connected
to cancer or heart issues.
• Consider flexible hours or short-term project
assignments to appeal to working professionals.
• Expand opportunities for families, teens and college
students to volunteer.
• Focus on how to enhance the overall volunteer
experience, ensuring fulfilling, meaningful service.
• Identify meaningful metrics to quantify the impact of
the service.
Integrate volunteer services with patient
experience initiatives.
• Create opportunities for volunteers to personally
interact with patients — inside and outside of the
hospital, such as in patients’ homes.
• Develop coaching or peer services for volunteers to
provide non-clinical support to patients and families.
• Involve volunteers in cross-functional patient teams
that round on inpatients.
• Include volunteers on Patient and Family Advisory
Councils or in pilot projects for new initiatives and
engage them in solving challenges.
Engage the C-Suite and department managers.
• Volunteer leaders should meet at least annually with
the CEOs to learn of emerging priorities and key
concerns that volunteers might address.
• Create opportunities for administrators to learn of
issues, concerns or feedback that the volunteers
glean from their encounters with patients and
families.
• Increase awareness of managers at all levels of the
elevated roles that volunteers can play in engaging
patients and families.
Collaborate with internal and external partners.
• Consider volunteer services in non-traditional
departments, such as IT Analytics, Performance
Improvement and Community Health.
• Invite collaboration among volunteer services and
civic organizations, retirement facilities, universities,
businesses and other community organizations.
Focus on community.
• View volunteers as extensions of the community
voice and as consumers of health care.
• Initiate volunteer services outside the four walls of
the hospital.
• Involve volunteers in community wellness and
prevention efforts, such as those focused on health
literacy, fitness, food insecurity, car safety, injury
prevention and Alzheimer’s awareness.
Embrace change.
• Continually update volunteers on changes in the
health care environment or community, and share
the rationale for new initiatives.
• Continually assess program effectiveness,
supplementing tried-and-true volunteer services
with new, innovative approaches.
Critical success factors
To engage volunteers in pursuing the Triple Aim, experts from across the country identified several key elements
worth considering. Following are critical success factors cited during interviews of volunteers, auxilians, directors of
Volunteer Services and CEOs:
14. 14 Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
• The AHA Guide®
reports some 4,000 hospitals
in the U.S. engage volunteers.
AHVRP members report:
• Volunteer services is often one of the
largest departments in a hospital.
• Hospitals have some 30-50 different
volunteer service areas.
• Small and rural hospitals often have
30-150 volunteers.
• Medium-sized hospitals often have
300 to 500 volunteers.
• Large medical centers often have
1,500-2,000+ volunteers.
• Volunteers are active partners in:
– Improving quality
– Promoting wellness and prevention
– Raising funds for scholarships and
equipment
– Improving patient engagement
– Enhancing the patient experience
– Promoting safety
– Fostering healthy outcomes
– Enhancing community engagement
– Supporting health care workforce
development
Demographics of volunteer service departments
Conclusion
The experts interviewed predicted volunteers will
become increasingly engaged in pursuing the Triple Aim
in the future. They envisioned more activity related to
population health, homelessness, behavioral health,
health coaching, wellness, alternative therapies,
prevention, patient experience and community
engagement. Elevating and expanding volunteer
programs can result in demonstrated and measurable
value to health care organizations and may be a resource
in navigating the path toward healthier communities.
The resource should be shared with:
• Directors of volunteer services
• Leaders of hospital auxiliaries
• CEOs
• Trustees
• Department heads and service line leaders,
including those in clinical departments, patient
experience, quality, community outreach and
philanthropy
Checklist
for developing strategic volunteer
services to support the Triple Aim
Assess your hospital’s progress toward
achieving the Triple Aim
Conduct conversations among
administrators and volunteer leaders about
strategic gaps volunteers could fill
Engage stakeholders and champions
Identify potential new volunteer service areas
Draft a business case
Identify potential risks and develop training,
scripts, algorithms and evaluation methods
to mitigate those risks
Draft position descriptions and
competencies
Identify outcome measures
Recruit and train volunteers
Pilot the service
Disseminate results
15. 15Engaging Health Care Volunteers to Pursue the Triple Aim
Find the AHA on Facebook
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Connect with us on LinkedIn
Join the conversation on AHAStat
Follow AHAhospitals on Twitter
Follow AHAadvocacy on Twitter
American Hospital Association.
Case Examples of Volunteer Transforming Health Care.
http://www.aha.org/about/volunteers/caseex.shtml
American Hospital Association.
Community Connections.
http://www.ahacommunityconnections.org/
American Hospital Association.
Zeroing in on the Triple Aim.
http://www.aha.org/content/15/brief-3aim.pdf
Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource
Professionals.
http://www.ahvrp.org
CAHHS Volunteer Resource Center.
Includes effective practices, patient-centered programs
and web forums.
http://www.calhospital.org/volunteer-resource-center
Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Triple Aim for Populations.
http://www.ihi.org/Topics/TripleAim/Pages/default.aspx
Resources
Contributors
Reviewers
Sabrina Clark
Director of Voluntary Service
Veterans Health Administration
Washington, DC
Kaitee-Doll Bell
Director of Volunteer Services
and Foundation
Banner Case Grande Medical
Center
Casa Grande, AZ
Ron Edele
Volunteer
Blount Memorial Hospital
Maryville, TN
Steven Edwards
President and CEO
CoxHealth
Springfield, MO
Patricia Q. Garcia, CAVS
Director of Volunteer Services
Medical Center Health System
Odessa, TX
Barbara Muesing
Auxilian and Trustee
Essentia Health, Fosston
Fosston, MN
Rachelle Schultz
CEO
Winona Health
Winona, MN
Angela Smith, CAVS
System Director of Volunteer
Services
Summa Health
Akron, OH
Lynn Smith
Auxilian
CHI St. Vincent-Hot Springs
Hot Springs, AR
Joan Cardellino, CAVS
California Hospital Association
Tina Pridgeon, CAVS
Phelps County Regional
Medical Center
Rolla, MO
Sandra Marshall, CAVS
LRGHealthcare
Laconia, NH
Sue Ellen Wagner
Hospital Association of
New York State
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